Fun at Chimney Rock!!

****Note: This is where my posts get a little out of order. Drew's birthday party and fishing through the summer (which really should have been posted here) can be found in earlier posts.

Last summer (just before it was time for me to go back to school) we took a quick, last minute "mini vacation" to Chimney Rock. We had been to Lake Lure earlier in the summer, and we were excited to take Drew and Mikayla again! We are very fortunate in that this is not a very far drive for our family and the view is really pretty. On this trip, we didn't spend any time at "the beach" at Lake Lure, but instead spent our time relaxing, walking the strip, and - you guessed it - fishing. We didn't hike up to the top of the rock, as I am a little too protective of my children for that. I cannot get the story of the little 2 year old that fell from the trail and died out of my head - and Drew is just not ready for that. Mikayla would stay right with us - no doubt, but Drew - ha, that's another story. Until I am positive that he understands how dangerous those trails can be, and I know that he will stay right with us - we will be keeping our feet firmly on the ground thank you! Drew and Mikayla were able to see "the rock" and this was our view from the front porch of our hotel - rocking chairs and all!We had dinner at a fun restaurant over looking the river - of course Drew and Mikayla wanted to sit on the back deck, and we wouldn't dare say no. Hey, sometimes you just gotta pick your battles! They look so sweet in this picture!! After mommy took pictures of Drew and Mikayla, they wanted the camera to take some pictures of mommy and daddy! I thought they did pretty well with the camera!!

Drew and Mikayla liked the river, and you can just tell that he is dying to get in the water!

Mikayla munches on boiled peanuts while putting her feet in the water - man this is the life!!

Craig tries to find out if there are any fish in the river - he and Drew were really hoping to catch some trout.No Luck - only a "pair of eyeballs"!
So Drew takes a dip to cool off instead of fishing!

Then Mikayla decides to join him!!
After lunch, we head back towards home stopping by this spot on Lake Lure - away from "the beach" - to try our luck at fishing again. Drew was so proud of himself!! Here, he baited his own hook, cast his line, and reeled in this catch. You might not be able to see the fish here - look real close almost between Drew's feet. He also removed this fish from his hook and threw it back!! That's a real fisherman right there!
Our girl was exhausted from this fun trip and catches a nap on the way home!! We all had so much fun, and we plan to go back another time - even if only for the day!! I personally think "mini vacations" are the best sometimes. This was just what I needed to get me ready to begin another school year!!